Wagon-body



(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1. D. H. ALLEN.

. WAGON BODY. No. 434,905. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, DAVID H. ALLEN, or MIAMISBURG, OHIO.

WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,905, dated August26, 1890.

Application filed January '7, 1890- Serial No. 336,122. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Miamisburg, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in WVagon-Bodies, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of wagon or vehicle bodies having awheel-house or arching portion under which the forward wheels can swingin turning the vehicle, thereby enabling the vehicle to be turned in anarc of a circle smaller than could otherwise be done. In the ordinaryconstruction of such bodies the arch or wheel-house has been stiffenedby means of irons conforming at that part to the shape of the arch, andsecured, usually, to the sides of the body for that purpose.

My invention consists in the employment orcombinationavith the body, ofbraces orstirrups crossing the arch at the open lower end thereof, nearthe center in width of the body, and preferably crossing each other atthat point, whereby the wheels are allowed to swing under the arch inturning, and the expense of making irons to conform to the shape of thearch for the support thereof is avoided, as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a vehicle-bodyshowing. my improvement, with the flooring of the body removed; Fig. 2,a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, looking fromunderneath the body; and Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views similar to Fig. 1,but showing modifications in the form and arrangement of the braces. p v

A, A, and A indicate parts of the framework of the body, which, exceptin'particulars hereinafter noted, may be of any usual or preferredconstruction, so long as it is provided with the arched central portionor wheel-house 13, under which the forward wheels can swing in turningthe vehicle. It is framed together in the usual way; but instead ofproviding it with the usual irons arched to conform to the sides orlongitudinal outline of the body I provide iron straps or braces O O,which extend horizontally straight across the open bot tom of the arch,and which, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are shown extending diagonally from endto end and side to side of the body, crossing in the center of the archand of the width of the body. These are secured in front of the arch toa transverselyarranged board or crossbar D, which may constitute a partof the flooring of the body or may be made independently thereof and inone or more strips or bars, as may be required, and in rear of the archthe braces are secured to a transverse bar D to both, by bolts or rivetsd, as may be preferred. They are also bolted or riveted one to the otherWhere they cross. By this construction any tendency of the arch tospread is overcome much more effectually than where the irons conform tothe shape of the arch, and at the same time the irons are brought underthe arch to near the center of the width of the body, and so permit thewheels to swing under the latter in turning the vehicle as far as isrequired for ordinary use. If desired, braces to a may extend obliquelyupward from the braces O C to the top of the arch at its sides, as shownin Fig. 2, for further stiffening the arch, and, where these braces toa. are used the bars 0 and C can be made of lighter material than wouldotherwise be admissible, thereby still further reducing the cost ofmanufacture.

In Fig. 4 the braces, instead of crossing each other, are made toconverge from one end toward the other, and in Fig. 5 they are made tocurve inward toward each other from their ends, thereby bringing themnear each other under the arch and giving room at the sides thereof forthe wheels to swing under the arch sufficiently far for ordinarypurposes; but, as stated, the diagonal arrangement of the bars or bracesshown in Figs. 1 and 3 is preferred, as affording the most room for thewheels to swing. The bars are shown at c as extending beyond and forwardof the cross-bar D for the purpose of attaching the spring-bar directlythereto; but they may be made shorter, extending far enough only toconnect rigidly with said bar D, and the spring or axle bars tersPatent, is-

1. Avehicle-body having an arch or Wheelhonse for the wheels to swingunder in turning the vehicle, in combination with braces crossing theopen bottom of the arch at or near the center of the width of the body,and rigidly connected with the body in front and in rear of said arch,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a vehicle-body having an open arch orwheel-house for the wheels to swing under in turning, of thediagonally-arranged braces crossing each other 7 under the arch,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a vehicle-body having an open arch orwheel-house, of braces crossing the open bottom of the arch and uprightbraces therefrom for supporting the arch, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the vehicle-body having an open arch orwheel-house, of the cross-bars in front and rear of said arch, andbraces secured to said cross-bars crossing said arch near the center inwidth of the body and extending beyond the front cross-bar,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a vehicle-body hav ing an open arch for thewheels, braces cross ing said arch, and upright braces therefrom undersaid arch, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1890.

DAVID H. ALLEN.

WVitnesses:

APPLETON P. CLARK, R. J. BEALL, Jr.

